Pat Riley calls LeBron James leaving the Heat “the most shocking thing” to him and franchise

CLEVELAND – Heat president Pat Riley has said how he had “great regret” he didn’t do more last summer to prevent Dwyane Wade from leaving Miami. Now, in an interview with The Vertical, Riley said that LeBron James walking away in 2014 was “the most shocking thing to me.”

James left the Heat to return to Cleveland after four years in which he led the team to four straight Finals appearances and two titles.

“Since I came here, we’ve had the same owner, same president, two coaches, same support staff,” Riley told The Vertical. “We’ve got a bunch of guys working for us who played for us. Players come and go, great players. When LeBron left, that was the most shocking thing to me – not to say he was right or wrong – and the most shocking thing to the franchise. But our culture is the same. You have your up years and your down years, but what can’t change is the way you do things.”

The Heat face James tonight in the second game of a home-and-home with the Cavaliers. James – and point guard Kyrie Irving – opted to sit out Saturday’s game in Miami, a 120-92 Heat victory.

The Heat are 5-0 against the Cavaliers in Miami since James left but 0-4 in Cleveland.

Riley repeated to The Vertical how he’d like to the Heat made a push for a playoff spot but the main goal is rebuilding this team into a title contender.

The Heat have had a stunning recovery from an 11-30 start, winning 18-of-22 games since.